Frit capacitor and method for obtaining the dielectric constant thereof

ABSTRACT

A frit capacitor of either the discrete or integrated microcircuit variety having a ferroelectric glass-ceramic dielectric whose dielectric constant is of intermediate value between about 20 and 400. The desired value of dielectric constant is accurately obtained in a readily reproducible manner by mixing a batch containing appropriate quantities of stable non-crystallizable glass particles and glass particles capable of forming a ferroelectric crystal phase. The desired dielectric constant is obtained by subjecting the batch to heat treatment. By controlling the weight ratio of the two glass components during the batch preparation, individual capacitor dielectrics having different dielectric constants can be provided utilizing the same firing schedule for each.

[111 3,812,688 1 May 28, 1974 OTHER PUBLICATIONS Handbook Glass Manufacture, Vol. 11, Tooley-l960- copy U.S. Pat. Off. page 192-199.

Primary Examiner-Frank W. Miga Attorney, Agent, or Firm Walter S.'Zebrowski [57 ABSTRACT A frit capacitor of either the discrete or integrated microcircuit variety having, a ferroelectric glass-ceramic dielectric whose dielectric constant is of intermediate value between about 20 and 400. The desired value of dielectric constant is accurately obtained in a readily reproducible manner by mixing a batch containing appropriate quantities of stable non-crystallizable glass particles and glass particles capable of forming a ferroelectric crystal phase. The desired dielectric constant is obtained by subjecting the batch to heattreatment.- By controlling the weight ratio of the two glass components during the batch preparation, individual capacitor dielectrics having different dielectric constants can be provided utilizing'the same firing sched- FRIT CAPACITOR AND METHOD FOR OBTAINING THE DIELECTRIC CONSTANT THEREOF [75] Inventors: John W. Asher, Elmira; Andrew Herczog, Painted Post, both of NY. [73] Assignee: Corning Glass Works, Corning,

Mar. 30, 1973 Appl. No.2 346,594

Related U.S. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 71,750, Sept. 14, 1970, Pat. No. 3,753,057, which is a division of Ser. No. 729,800, May 16, 1968, Pat. No. 3,699,620.

65/18,.6 5/33,252/62.63 C0311 23/20, C03b 29/00, C04b 35/26 65/18, 33; 252/6263 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS United States Patent Asher et al.

221 Filed:

[51 Int.Cl.

[58] Field of Search .DIELECTRIC CONSTANT(Kl FOLLOWING- HEAT TREATMENT PAIENTEDIAY 28 I974 VISCOSITY IN POISE SHEEIZBFZ IO" CRYSTALLIZATION 7 AT O.5C/M|N- HEATING RATE IOIO CRYSTALLIZATION AT |5C/MIN. 9 HEATING RATE STABLE GLASS COMPOSITION FROM TABLE I, coL.'|

CRYSTALLIZATION AT ABouT 500C/MIN.

I07 FERROELECTRIC GLASS sTABLE GLASS COMPOSITION FROM CQMPQ$|T|QN FROM TABLE 2 TABLE I,COL.2 NONCRYSTALLIZED lo 800 700 800 --900' I000 c TEMPERATURE m C'ENTIGRADE DEGREES Fig. 3

. 1 FRIT CAPACITOR AND METHOD FOR OBTAINING TI-IE DIELECTRIC CONSTANT THEREOF CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION One problem that has frequently been encountered in the manufacture of frit capacitors has been the difficulty in obtaining ferroelectric glass-ceramic dielectric materials, whose dielectric constants are of intermediate value (about to 400), in an accurate and commercially reproducible manner. One usual method for obtaining glass-ceramic dielectric materials involves depositing a batch material, consisting of glass particles capable of forming a ferroelectric crystal phase mixed with a suitable vehicle, on a capacitor plate'The material is deposited so as to give it the desired shape and thickness. Thereafter. the-unit so formed is fired in an oven at carefully controlled temperature levels and heating rates for specified time durations in order to produce a given amount of ferroelectric crystallization of the glass particles and thereby provide a glassceramic dielectric material which. upon completion of heat treatment, has the desired value of'dielectric constant. Ferroelectric crystallization is initiated when the glass is heated to a temperature near its softening point and continues until either complete or partial crystallization occurs as determined by the temperature-time relationship of the heat treatment. Heretofore it has been the practice in the art to obtain the desired value of dielectric constant in glass dielectric materials by controlling the process of ferroelectric-crystallization.

However. a finite amount of time is required to dissipate or remove heat from a glass dielectric material once it has been heated sufficiently to initiate ferroelectric crystallization. Thisis a particular disadvantage where a rapid rate of heating is employed to obtainthe desired densification properties of the dielectric material. However. notwithstanding such a'disadvantage, heat cannot be instantaneously removed from the material so as to terminate crystallization at precisely the desired value of dielectric constant A dielectric constant of about 400 is ordinarily about the lowest value accurately obtainable in ferroelectric glass-ceramic materials. However. dielectric constants above this value can be obtained fairly accurately'by controlling the heating schedule because, abovethis'value, it is possible to control ferroelectriccrystallization. For numerous examples of 'glass compositions which form a ferroelectric crystal phase with heat treatment and have the above-mentionedcharacteristics. reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 3.195.030 entitled GLASS AND METHODS OF DEVITRIFYING SAME AND MAK- ING A CAPACITOR THEREFROM, by Andrew Herczog and Stanley D. Stookey. J

On the other hand there are numerous stable glass compositions, that is, glasses which do-not form a ferroelectric crystal phase with heat treatment, which are suitable as capacitor dielectric materials where low values of dielectric constant, generally less than about 20. are desired. Such glasses should be sufficiently alkalifree to avoid appreciable amounts of 'ion migration when subjected to electric fields of the size encountered in capacitor dielectric applications. Table l below lists, by way of example, the approximate compositions of two stable glasses suitable for use as capacitor dielectricswhere low values of dielectric constant are required.

TABLE I SIC: 58% 50% Al Q, lSZ l0'7r CaO I07: MgO 7% B210 6% 257: 8,0,, g 4% 15% turing processes. For this reason the manufacture of frit capacitors has been restricted either to dielectric con stants of low value, below 20, or to high values of dielectric constant, above about 400.

Another problem that has been encountered in the manufacture of frit capacitors has been the inability to obtain individual capacitors whose dielectric constants. and consequently, their capacitance per unit area, can be selected as desired using a single heating schedule. This is a significant problem with respect to capacitors used in microcircuits where often it is desired to form numerous individual capacitors on a single microcircuit substrate. Since, heretofore, manipulation of the heating schedule has been the sole means of obtaining the desired dielectric constant andsince all the capacitor units on a given substrate are necessarily subject to the same heat treatment, only a single value of capacitance per unit area has been obtainable for each capacitor on a single microcircuit substrate. Accordingly, in order to obtain different capacitance values between individual units on the same substrate. it hasbeen necessary to provideindividual differences in their areas.

SUMMARY OF THElNVENTlON I to about 400, in an accurate and uniformly reproducible manner.

It-isafurther object of theinstant invention to protric constants and capacitances per unit area are individually obtained, as desired, using a single heat treatment schedule.

is illustrated.

provide a method'of making frit-capacitors 'whose'dielectric :constants are accurately obtainable over a wider range than heretofore'possible.

, Briefly, in accordance with the instantinvention, particles of a substantially non-alkaline, stable-glass, characterized by a low dielectric constant and a readily crystallizable glass which forms a ferroelectric phase, are, mixed. The glass particles so mixed are mixed with a vehicle so as to form a fluid batch. The batch is formed into the desired shape and heat treated in order to volatilize the vehicle, consolidate the-glass particles, and at least partially crystallize the ferroelectric glass.

Additional objects, features and advantages of the instant invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following, more detailed description and attached drawings on which, by wayof example, only the preferred embodiment of the instant invention BRIEF DESCRIPTION-OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. graphically illustrates the relationship between the dielectric constant of the frit capacitor of the instant invention and the ratio, expressed in percent, of the weight of 'a stable, non-alkali glass to the weight of a glass mixture containing both the stable glass and a ferroelectric glass. r

FIG. 2 is'a cross-sectional elevation of three microcircuit frit capacitors mounted on a single microcircuit substrate, each capacitor having a dielectric constant individually obtained by the method oftheinstant invention. I a I FIG. 3'shows the viscosity vs, temperature relationship of thetwo glass compositions used in the fabricationof the capacitor described in the example.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 'A frit capacitor dielectric material is prepared by first providing a glass composition having the capability of forming ferroelectric crystals with heat treatment. In the instant example a suitable glass composition is tabulated in Table ll below. For numerous-other examples of glass compositions capable of forming ferroelectric crystalswith heat 'treatment'and suitable for purposes of the instantinventionreference is again made to US. Pat. No. 3,195,030. The glass composition given in Table ll, hereinafter referred to as the ferroelect'r'ic glass, is provided in particulate form with a-grain size suitable for mixing with other materials in batchform. In the instant example a grain size of about microns isused.

- TABLE I1 Buo 13m SrO 8.7" PbO 3 I73; Nhgon 48.4% SiO, 7.6% rel-.0. 1.9% 8,0 7 5% Cu,O

The ferroe'lectric glass particles are mixed with simiglass (a glass 'whichdoes not form a fer roelectri'c tal phase), the composition of which is'givenin column H r 6 larly sized particles of a substantially alkali-free stable,

2 of Table I. Another stable glass composition suitable for purposes of the instant invention is given by way of example in column 1 of Table l.

Referring to P10. 1 the ferroelectric and stable glass particles are mixed together in a weight ratio corresponding to the'desired value of dielectric constant sought upon completion of heat treatment as later explained. It should be noted that the graph gives intermediate range dielectric constant values for various weight ratios of the glass composition of the instant example following its exposure to a temperature of 940C for a period of 5 minutes. For example, where a dielectric constant of 200 is desired, one part'by weight of the stable glass is mixed with nine parts by weight of the ferroelectric glass, thereby providing a stable to total glass weight ratio of 10 percent. l

The glass mixture so prepared is mixed with any suitable vehicle, well known in the art, such as pine oil, oil of lavender, or the like in order to prepare a'fluid batch composition for deposition on a capacitor plate. The

batch is thereafter deposited on a first capacitor plate screening, sedimentation, or the like so as to form the desired'shape of the dielectricto be obtained following heat treatmentr g The unit so formed is fired in an oven at the abovementioned heating schedule in order to volatilize the vehicle, promote consolidation of the glass components of the batch, and "produce theamount of ferroelectric crystallization necessary to yield a dielectric material with'a dielectric constant of 200. H

Following the heat treatment," a second capacitor plate is formed on the opposite side of the dielectric from the first capacitor plate inany manner well known in the art. Suitable terminal wires are attached to each capacitor plate in a similarly well known manner thereby providing a frit capacitor having, a glassceramic dielectric of intermediate dielectric constant.

It is to be noted that 'shouldother heating schedules of different temperatures, heating rates, and time durations be employed, 'a graph should be prepared similar to the graph of FIG. 1 for, these conditions. As will readily be appreciated by those skilled in the art, this maybe accomplished by subjecting variousweight ratios of the desired mixture of stable and ferroelectric glasses to the particular heatingschedule desired and tabulatingj'a' list of the resulting dielectric constants for each ratio following the heat treatment. Enough different mixture ratios should be heat treated as described above to enable one to plot a smooth curve of the type shown in FIG. 1. p

It should also be noted that in choosing the compositions of stable and ferroelectric glasses for the fabrication of 'a frit capacitor dielectric, attention should be paid to the closeness with which their individual viscosity-temperature characteristics match over the temperature range to be employed in the heat treatment. FIG. 3 illustrates this relationship between the ferroelectric glass composition of the instant example andthe two stable glass compositions given in'Table I. As will be noted in the graph, a mismatch in temperature-viscosity characteristic is tolerable between the stable and ferroelectric glass compositions. However,

the viscosity of the stable glass should be above that of prevent runoff or segregation of the individual components, during the heat treatment. Once crystallization has commenced segregation of the two glasses is no longer likely to occur as the material becomes increasingly more rigid. The lowest viscosity which occurs in the ferroelectric glass during heat treatment is its viscosity immediately prior to the start of crystallization and this point can be controlled by controlling the rate of heating of the glass. FIG. 3 illustrates the approximate minimum viscosities reached by the ferroelectric glass of the instant example under three different heat treatment heating rates.

The following example illustrates the manner in which any number of frit capacitors each having a different dielectric constant, and consequently, different values of capacitance per unit area, are obtainable simultaneously with a single microcircuit frit capacitors l0, l2 and 14 which are formed on the surface of a suitable dielectric substrate 16. The substrate 16 consists of any suitable dielectric material such as alumina, steatite, ceramic material, or the like. Metallized electrode films 18, 20 and 22 serve as first capacitor plates and are applied to the substrate 16 in any suitable manner well known in the art such as silk screening, spraying, sedimentation, or the like. Examples of such films I8, 20 and 22 include silver, gold, platinum-alloys of the foregoing, and the like. I

Layers 24, 26 and 28 are glass-ceramic dielectrics of the capacitors l0, l2 and 14, respectively, and are each individually prepared in separate batches so as to provide the desired dielectric constant for each following a single .simultaneous firing schedule. In the instant example, a ferroelectric 'g'lass having the composition given in Table ll and a stable, non-alkali glass having the composition given in column 2 of Table l is provided in powdered form, the grain size of each glass being about lO'microns. The firing schedule to be employed is the same as previously described so as to permitthe use of the graph in FIG. 1 for purposes of illustration. In the instant example the capacitor has a dielectric 24 whose dielectric constant is 100, the capacitor 12 has a dielectric 26 whose dielectric constant is 200, andthe capacitor 14 has a dielectric 28 whose dielectric constant is 300. Each dielectric, 24, 26 and 28 is to be obtained under the same above-mentioned firing schedule. 1

ln accordance with the previous explanation three batches are prepared having stable to total glass weight ratios of percent, 10 percent and 4 percent, respectively. These ratios are obtained for each batch from the graph in FIG. I based on the individual values of dielectric constants desired. Each of the batchescontains a suitable vehicle such as pine oil, oil of lavender, or the like. In the order given above, the first batch is applied to the capacitor plate 18, the second batch to capacitor plate 20 and the third batch to capacitor plate 22, in any suitable manner well known in the art. The unit so formed is heat treated by exposure in an oven to a temperature of 940C for 5 minutes so as to volatilize the vehicle, promote consolidation of the glass components of each batch, and produce the required amount of ferroelectric crystallization of each batch. Fabrication of the capacitors l0, l2 and I4 is completed in a well known manner by disposing electrode films 30, 32 and 34 over the dielectrics 24, 26 and 28, respectively. The resulting capacitor values are in part dependent upon the dielectric constant of each capacitor l0, l2 and 14, the dielectric constant of each having been obtained individually by controlling the weight ratios of the glass components in each batch, notwithstanding the fact that the same heat treatment schedule is employed for each.

Although the instant invention has been described with respect to specific details of certain embodiments thereof, itis not intended thatsuch details be limitations upon the scope of the instant invention except insofar as set forth in the following claims.

We claim: i

v l. A method of making a frit capacitor dielectric material, the steps of which comprise j forming a mixture of particles of a substantially nonalkaline stable glass and a ferro-electric glass, said non-alkaline stable glass'being characterized by a low value dielectric constant,

mixing said mixture of particles with a vehicle so as to form a fluid batch,

forming said batch into the shape of a capacitor dielectric member as desired, and

heat treating the capacitor dielectric member so formed so as to volatilize said vehicle, consolidate said particles, and at least partially crystallize said ferroelectric glass whereby said dielectric material is provided having a dielectric constant intermediate that of said stable and heat treated ferroelectric 1 glasses alone. g

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of mixing said particles in a weight ratio corresponding to a value of dielectric constant between about 20 and about 400 of said material following a selected schedule of heat treatment.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the'dielectric constant of said stable glass is less thanabout 20. 

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of mixing said particles in a weight ratio corresponding to a value of dielectric constant between about 20 and about 400 of said material following a selected schedule of heat treatment.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the dielectric constant of said stable glass is less than about
 20. 